The EG95 recombinant vaccine is protective against cystic echinococcus in animal intermediate hosts. Preparation of the existing, registered EG95 vaccines involves semi-purification of the vaccine protein, adding to the cost of production. Truncation of the EG95 cDNA, shortening both the amino and carboxy-termini of the protein, leads to high levels of recombinant protein expression. The recombinant EG95 protein was prepared as a bacterin from clarified, whole bacterial lysate, and used in a vaccine trial in sheep against an experimental challenge infection with Echinococcus granulosus eggs. The EG95 bacterin was found to induce 98% protection. Use of this in a new generation EG95 vaccine would simplify production, facilitate new sources of the vaccine and potentially enhance uptake of vaccination in control of E. granulosus transmission.

Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032, an endospore-forming bacterial strain, was investigated to determine its methylation pattern (methylome) change, compared to ground control, after direct exposure to space conditions onboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 1.5 years. The resulting ISS-flown and non-flown strains were sequenced using the Nanopore MinION and an in-house method and pipeline to identify methylated positions in the genome. Our analysis indicated genomic variants and m6A methylation increased in the ISS-flown SAFR-032. To complement the broader omics investigation and explore phenotypic changes, ISS-flown and non-flown strains were compared in a series of laboratory-based chamber experiments using an X-ray irradiation source (doses applied at 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1250 Gy); results show a potentially higher survival fraction of ISS-flown DS2 at the two highest exposures. Taken together, results from this study document lasting changes to the genome by methylation, potentially triggered by conditions in spaceflight, with functional consequences for the resistance of bacteria to stressors expected on long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit.

Ecological and biogeographic information for marine gastropods has lagged behind taxonomic, molecular and phylogenetic information, limiting understanding of evolutionary processes. We investigated niche separation and speciation in rapinine whelks that represent a rare deep estuarine penetration by muricid gastropods. We studied the genetic and ecological differentiation of four Indothais morphotypes, distributed along a salinity gradient in Brunei (Borneo, South East Asia). Our molecular analyses, based on three mitochondrial genes (COI, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) and one nuclear gene (28S rRNA), revealed three species having the following relationship [Indothais rufotincta (Tan & Sigurdsson, 1996), [I. javanica (Philippi, 1848), [I. gradata (Jonas, 1846)]]]. This pattern coincided with their salinity-related distributions, such that I. rufotincta occurred alone in the open coastal waters, and I. javanica and I. gradata extended into the upper estuary. This suggests speciation through divergent selection and local adaptation, specifically synapomorphic low salinity tolerance by I. javanica and I. gradata. The observed intertidal vertical separation where the species co-occur suggests competitive exclusion of the others by the most-recently evolved I. gradata. This species also showed greatest morphological and genetic variation, and unique niche expansion involving feeding on both hard surface and muddy sediment organisms. Our study presents a novel hypothesis for the speciation of these snails.

In late summer, sometime between cal a.d. 340–405, a hoard of tightly packed, stacked copper-alloy vessels was deposited in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire. The corrosion of the vessels allowed for the preservation of delicate plant macrofossils and pollen. Analysis of this material has provided insights into the date, season and context of this act of structured deposition. A second hoard of similar vessels was deposited in the fourth or fifth century only a few miles away at Wilcot. The hoards and their deposition relate to Romano-British lifeways, at a time when the region was on the cusp of a dramatic period of change. The distribution of late Roman coins and belt fittings offers further insights into the social and economic character of Wiltshire at their times of deposition.

In Scotland, the base of the Ballagan Formation has traditionally been placed at the first grey mudstone within a contiguous Late Devonian to Carboniferous succession. This convention places the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary within the Old Red Sandstone (ORS) Kinnesswood Formation. The consequences of this placement are that tetrapods from the Ballagan Formation were dated as late Tournaisian in age and that the ranges of typically Devonian fish found in the Kinnesswood Formation continued into the Carboniferous. The Pease Bay specimen of the fish Remigolepis is from the Kinnesswood Formation. Comparisons with its range in Greenland, calibrated against spores, show it was Famennian in age. Detailed palynological sampling at Burnmouth from the base of the Ballagan Formation proves that the early Tournaisian spore zones (VI and HD plus Cl 1) are present. The Schopfites species that occurs through most of the succession is Schopfites delicatus rather than Schopfites claviger. The latter species defines the late Tournaisian CM spore zone. The first spore assemblage that has been found in Upper ‘ORS' strata underlying the Ballagan Formation (Preston, Whiteadder Water), contains Retispora lepidophyta and is from the early latest Famennian LL spore zone. The spore samples are interbedded with volcaniclastic debris, which shows that the Kelso Volcanic Formation is, in part, early latest Famennian in age. These findings demonstrate that the Ballagan Formation includes most of the Tournaisian with the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary positioned close to the top of the Kinnesswood Formation. The Stage 6 calcrete at Pease Bay can be correlated to the equivalent section at Carham, showing that it represents a time gap equivalent to the latest Famennian glaciation(s). Importantly, some of the recently described Ballagan Formation tetrapods are older than previously dated and now fill the key early part of Romer's Gap.

The lower Mississippian Ballagan Formation of northern Britain is one of only two successions worldwide to yield the earliest known tetrapods with terrestrial capability following the end-Devonian mass extinction event. Studies of the sedimentary environments and habitats in which these beasts lived have been an integral part of a major research project into how, why and under what circumstances this profound step in the evolution of life on Earth occurred. Here, a new palaeogeographic map is constructed from outcrop data integrated with new and archived borehole material. The map shows the extent of a very low-relief coastal wetland developed along the tropical southern continental margin of Laurussia. Coastal floodplains in the Midland Valley and Tweed basins were separated from the marginal marine seaway of the Northumberland–Solway Basin to the south by an archipelago of more elevated areas. A complex mosaic of sedimentary environments was juxtaposed, and included fresh and brackish to saline and hypersaline lakes, a diverse suite of floodplain palaeosols and a persistent fluvial system in the east of the region. The strongly seasonal climate led to the formation of evaporite deposits alternating with flooding events, both meteoric and marine. Storm surges drove marine floods from the SW into both the western Midland Valley and Northumberland–Solway Basin; marine water also flooded into the Tweed Basin and Tayside in the east. The Ballagan Formation is a rare example in the geological record of a tropical, seasonal coastal wetland that contains abundant, small-scale evaporite deposits. The diverse sedimentary environments and palaeosol types indicate a network of different terrestrial and aquatic habitats in which the tetrapods lived.

Background: High comorbidity rates among emotional disorders have led researchers to examine transdiagnostic factors that may contribute to shared psychopathology. Bifactor models provide a unique method for examining transdiagnostic variables by modelling the common and unique factors within measures. Previous findings suggest that the bifactor model of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) may provide a method for examining transdiagnostic factors within emotional disorders. Aims: This study aimed to replicate the bifactor model of the DASS, a multidimensional measure of psychological distress, within a US adult sample and provide initial estimates of the reliability of the general and domain-specific factors. Furthermore, this study hypothesized that Worry, a theorized transdiagnostic variable, would show stronger relations to general emotional distress than domain-specific subscales. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the bifactor model structure of the DASS in 456 US adult participants (279 females and 177 males, mean age 35.9 years) recruited online. Results: The DASS bifactor model fitted well (CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.05). The General Emotional Distress factor accounted for most of the reliable variance in item scores. Domain-specific subscales accounted for modest portions of reliable variance in items after accounting for the general scale. Finally, structural equation modelling indicated that Worry was strongly predicted by the General Emotional Distress factor. Conclusions: The DASS bifactor model is generalizable to a US community sample and General Emotional Distress, but not domain-specific factors, strongly predict the transdiagnostic variable Worry.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of sicklepod planting depths and chlorimuron, imazaquin, and metribuzin incorporation depths on sicklepod seedling emergence and growth. There was 35 and 90% sicklepod seedling emergence from 0- and 2-cm planting depths, respectively, in untreated soil 26 days after planting; emergence decreased with each additional increment below 2 cm. Chlorimuron at 63 g ai ha reduced the number of plants present 11 days after planting at 1- and 2-cm planting depths except when unincorporated. However, deeper sicklepod planting required chlorimuron incorporation to at least 6 cm for maximum reduction of plants. Imazaquin at 140 g ai ha was not as effective as chlorimuron, but a reduction in the number of plants was noted at 1- and 2-cm planting depths when imazaquin was incorporated to 4, 6, or 8 cm. Metribuzin at 420 g ai ha consistently reduced the number of plants at all incorporation depths except when unincorporated but had little effect on emergence. Chlorimuron and imazaquin reduced sicklepod dry weight most for all planting depths when incorporated 4 to 10 and 6 to 10 cm, respectively. Metribuzin reduced sicklepod biomass at all incorporation depths.

Tall ironweed is a troublesome perennial weed that infests cool-season grass pastures in Kentucky. Field experiments were conducted in 2000 through 2003 to evaluate the efficacy of fall-applied herbicides on established tall ironweed following a midsummer mowing. Triclopyr-containing treatments showed the greatest suppression of tall ironweed 12 mo after treatment (MAT), across all years. With triclopyr at 0.56 and 0.63 kg/ha, tall ironweed control was 80% or greater in 2 of the 3 yr. Dicamba initially provided 87% control 8 MAT in 2 of 3 yr and declined to less than 60% 12 MAT. Tall ironweed shoot density was also reduced 66% or more 12 MAT with fall-applied triclopyr-containing treatments. In contrast, tall ironweed density increased approximately twofold in dicamba-treated plots between 8 to 12 MAT in all 3 yr. The impact of herbicide treatment on dry matter (DM) yield of spring-seeded red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), tall ironweed, and forage grasses was also evaluated. Red clover DM yield in the herbicide-treated plots in 2002 showed no significant differences from the untreated control. However, red clover DM yield in 2003 was lowest for the two triclopyr + clopyralid treatments, indicating a decrease in DM production compared with that of the nontreated control. Results indicated that fall-applied triclopyr-containing herbicides following a midsummer mowing is an effective program for removing tall ironweed from grass pastures, but further research is needed to evaluate the establishment of red clover following herbicide treatment.

Stonehenge is a site that continues to yield surprises. Excavation in 2009 added a new and unexpected feature: a smaller, dismantled stone circle on the banks of the River Avon, connected to Stonehenge itself by the Avenue. This new structure has been labelled ‘Bluestonehenge’ from the evidence that it once held a circle of bluestones that were later removed to Stonehenge. Investigation of the Avenue closer to Stonehenge revealed deep periglacial fissures within it. Their alignment on Stonehenge's solstitial axis (midwinter sunset–midsummer sunrise) raises questions about the early origins of this ritual landscape.

The 2013 Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) Guideline for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) was commissioned by the CF Foundation as an update of the 2003 Infection Control Guideline for CF. During the past decade, new knowledge and new challenges provided the following rationale to develop updated IP&C strategies for this unique population:

1. The need to integrate relevant recommendations from evidence-based guidelines published since 2003 into IP&C practices for CF. These included guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and key professional societies, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). During the past decade, new evidence has led to a renewed emphasis on source containment of potential pathogens and the role played by the contaminated healthcare environment in the transmission of infectious agents. Furthermore, an increased understanding of the importance of the application of implementation science, monitoring adherence, and feedback principles has been shown to increase the effectiveness of IP&C guideline recommendations.

2. Experience with emerging pathogens in the non-CF population has expanded our understanding of droplet transmission of respiratory pathogens and can inform IP&C strategies for CF. These pathogens include severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and the 2009 influenza A H1N1. Lessons learned about preventing transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens in non-CF patient populations also can inform IP&C strategies for CF.

The present study reports on range extension of the suctorian species Praethecacineta halacari and Thecacineta calix to the region of Brunei Bay, Brunei Darussalam, Borneo.

By reprocessing the NICMOS coronagraphic archive using improved PSF subtraction methods, we have obtained new images of 5 debris disks, all previously unseen using classical PSF subtractions. Three of the disks are edge on and two appear to be ring like, one of which is extremely asymmetric.

Their stellar hosts are nearby, young F and G type stars (40-90 pc, 12–30 Myr), including one that is a close analog to the young sun at roughly the age at which terrestrial planets were assembling. This is a 25% increase in the sample of debris disks seen in scattered light. Analysis and modeling of the disk geometries is in process. Given these systems' youth, proximity, and brightness (V = 7.2 to 8.5), these will be superb targets for investigating planet formation, and are perfect targets for studies with GPI, SPHERE and JWST.

The Archival Legacy Investigation of Circumstellar Environments (ALICE) project (AR-12652) is currently conducting a comprehensive and consistent reprocessing of HST-NICMOS coronagraphic survey data to search for point sources and disks using advanced PSF subtraction. The KLIP algorithm (Karhunen-Loève Image Projection) was developed for this project, and has proven very effective at processing the hundreds of selected archival images. This project has already been very successful with numerous detections of previously unseen point sources and several resolved debris disks that we are currently following up by multiple avenues. We give an overview of the project including preliminary scientific results with companion candidates and improved images of known disks

Morphological and genetic information was used to determine the species identity and relationships of four species of nematodes from the Victoria Land coast, Antarctica; and between laboratory and field populations of Panagrolaimus davidi Timm. The 18S and D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA were successfully amplified from the four species: Scottnema lindsayae Timm, Plectus murrayi Yeates, Eudorylaimus spp. and Panagrolaimus davidi. The four species from field populations mapped to three different nematode clades, indicating that if they are survivors in, rather than colonizers of, Antarctica they originate from several Gondwanan ancestors. The laboratory culture of P. davidi is shown to be a different species to that of the field samples of P. davidi, which were genetically identical to each other. There are several possible explanations for this observation, which require further investigation.